~ Hi there! On HGTV's Hit Reality TV Show DESIGN STAR, I sewed, painted & sawed my way through some pretty tough challenges, but design doesn't have to be hard! I believe in combining simple, timeless design ingredients to create what I call "Design Recipes". I hope you find this to be a truly awesome resource. www.design-recipes.com contains design tips, articles, podcasts, how-to videos and of course design recipes galore! I invented Design Recipes simply because I love sharing my ideas! For years I collected design magazines, tagged and clipped pages with inspirational images & did nothing! That's because I didn't have the resource information so I could purchase the beautiful furniture I was seeing on the pages of the magazines! With Design Recipes, I SHARE how the room was executed, giving you the basic design tools needed for you to recreate the same look on your own and best of all I give you all of the resource information! Enjoy!

Search:

Celebrity NYC Real Estate Stager Cathy Hobbs Shares Tips On Home Staging For Family Living

As many New Yorkers yearn to stay in The Big Apple, developers and sellers are taking notice. These days, the search for a family-sized apartment is no longer limited to trying to reconfigure an oversized 2-bedroom, but an offering of true “family-sized” residences, which allow a family to truly “live large.”

Typically, family-sized apartments are considered to be those that are 3-bedroom and above, which are often difficult to find. What is important to remember when looking for a family residence, is to evaluate potential and value. A potential buyer should not only evaluate “what they see, but what a space could be,” which is why home staging to appeal to family living is unique. When staging to appeal to a family, keep the following tips in mind:

Think function first—how a family would want to use the space

Create distinct areas for family entertainment and lounging

Create child-friendly spaces, such as a children’s room or playroom

Select furniture that allows a space to feel spacious and roomy

Create a space that feels “grown-up” but family-friendly at the same time

What I have found to be most refreshing is that the inventory of family-sized apartments isn’t just limited to Manhattan. Recently, the marketing savvy real estate team at Brooklyn Bridge Realty, that includes brokers Saul Retig, Jean Austin, Ellen Gottlieb, and James Stubbs, asked me to stage one of their “super-star” family-sized listings.

The property, 111 Steuben Street, Unit 6A in Brooklyn, is simply stunning and perfect for family-style living. Priced at $1,800,000, this 3-bedroom, 2-bath residence boasts nearly 1,900 square feet of indoor space and a phenomenal 3,077 square feet of outdoor space! The apartment also comes with the bonus possibility of two indoor parking spaces—a real perk when you consider a family may have more than one vehicle. Building amenities include a game room, fitness room, and cold storage room for groceries.

This real estate gem, located in the neighborhood of Clinton Hill in the shadow of the prestigious art school Pratt Institute, is a true find and comes with a price tag that may appeal to many families priced out of other Brooklyn neighborhoods.

Across the bridge, the cost of family-sized living is a little pricier but still comes with incredible potential. Located not far from the United Nations and the convenience of Midtown, one can find 5-bedroom residences like the condominium I recently staged for Angela Rapoport, of The Corcoran Group. Priced at $6,000,000, 255 East 49th Street, Penthouse A, is a true megalisting with a wealth of space and potential.

A true marketing expert, Rapoport believed home staging was critical to her marketing strategy and secured my services prior to listing the property for sale. What makes this property and other family-sized properties like it so appealing is a family’s ability to “make it their own.” Space, value and potential, as well as home staging that allows a family to envision themselves in a space, is what I believe often secures the sale and helps seal the deal.